Electric-lighting apparatus



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheeti. A. 0. FERGUSON.

BLEOTRIO LIGHTING APPARATUS. No. 384,366. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

a wmlik 2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No ModeL) A. O. FERGUSON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 334,366. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR O. FERGUSON, OF SARATOGA, NEIV YORK.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,366, dated January12,1886.

Application filed October-l2, 1885.

T0 06 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. FERGU- sON, of Saratoga, in the county ofSaratoga and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inElectric-Light Appliances for Signs, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to obtain a series of flashes betweencarbon or other electrodes, and to arrange these in a circle or inzigzag lines, or in lines corresponding to letters of the alphabet, orto designs, so that by the flashes of electricity words or designs maybe produced for advertising or ornamental purposes.

I mount the electrodes in pairs and move one or both of them for makingand then breaking contact and developing sparks, and I arrange thesepairs in the lines to be illuminated and close and separate the samesuccessively along such lines, so that the flashes follow each otherwith sufficient rapidity to cause a line of illumination and produce animage on the optic nerve.

In the drawings, Figure l is a diagram illustrating my improvement, andFig. 2 is a vertical section of the cylinder and of the holder for theelectrodes, the connecting mechanism and some of the holders being inelevation, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent some of the shapes in whichthe electrodes may be arranged. Fig. 6 is a section representing theconnections from a range of electrodes to levers operated by a revolvingarm. Fig. 7 is a section, and Fig. 8 is a rear elevation showing a rangeof stationary electrodes and a range of sliding electrodes.

The electrodes a are by preference of carbon held in the tongs or leversb b, and they are kept out of contact normally by the action of gravityor by springs, and the levers b I) may both swing upon one or twopivots; or one lever may be fixed and the other movable.

I employ automatic mechanism for closing and then separating theelectrodes and drawing the spark, and for this purpose I prefer abarrel, II, with pins projecting from its surface, and levers I betweensuch pins and the levers of the electrodes, and cords or otherconnections, L, so that as the levers are moved in succession thecarbons or electrodes are brought together and then separated and thespark produced.

Serial No. 179,607. (No model.)

I remark that the electric conductors f and g are led to the rings orplates 5 and 6, that are insulated, so that the current passes to therespective levers and electrodes, and the action of the automatic movingdevices is to close contact and then instantly separate the electrodes,in order that the sparks may be developed in succession and the letter,figure, or design illuminated or formed by the sparks between the rangesof rapidly-moving electrodes. Usually it is the most convenient to allowthe electrodes to be drawn apart by the weight of the levers, and wheneither lever is lifted by one of the pins upon the spring-barrel theelectrodes close into contact with each other by the action of theirweight or a spring, and when the pin upon the spring-barrel H passesclear of the end of the lever I the weight of the lever instantlyseparates the electrode and causes the spark to be developed.

1 have represented in Fig. 2 carbon-holding levers and their respectivestrings and actuating devices made in the form which Ifind advantageous,the levers b and I) being pivoted, respectively, at 2 and 8 upon theinsulated conducting bars or strips 5 and 6. The weight of the carbonelectrodes will cause them to fall into contact with each other as soonas the lever I is raised, and when the lever falls the cords 9 and 10,or non-conducting bars acting as toggles, will separate the carbons anddraw the spark.

Fanciful and attractive figures can be obtained by the electric-lightflashes by arranging small carbon-holders in the desired lines ofillumination, as illustrated by the diagrams, Figs. 3, 4:, and

If desired, one of the electrodes may be a strip of sheet metal and theother electrodes swing into and out of contact with the same, and Iprefer to employ a range of levers in a circle, as seen in Fig. 6, witha central arm, h, having an inclined or beveled end that moves thelevers I in succession, and these levers are connected by strips L orotherwise with the swinging electrodes I).

lhe carbon-holders are to be constructed in any desired manner. Usuallythey will be tubular, of a size to allow the carbons to be slippedthrough them, as shown.

\Vhen desired, the plates 5 and 6, that support the electrodes, may beplaced edge to IOC.

edge, with an opening between them of the shape desired for the line ofillumination, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8, and the carbon-holders b b areupon the backs of these plates. The holders 1) may be stationary and theholders b slide through loops upon the plate 6, there being projections1 upon the holders b,against which the pins upon the barrel H act insuccession to force the carbons together, and then the springs Sseparate the same and draw the sparks.

In cases where electriclanips have been arranged at distances apart theyhave sometimes been brought into action by closing sep arate circuits insuccession bya rotating device; but the mechanism did'not move thelightgiving electrodes or carbons.

I claim as my invention- 1. A series of light-giving electrodes arrangedadjacent to each other in the form of 20 letters or figures, incombination with automatic mechanism, substantially as specified,

for closing and separating the electrodes successively, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with a revolving cylinder having pins, of leversacted on by said pins, carbons and carbonholders in pairs, andconnections between the respective levers and carbonholders for movingone or both electrodes successively and producing ranges of 30

